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In July 2025 I'm offering all my published fiction books FREE in the >Smashwords Summer/Winter sale.
The books are:
1. The Enchanted Grove <https://www.smashwords.com/books/1072405>
2. Cross Purposes <https://www.smashwords.com/books/1167919>
3. The Year of the Dragon <https://www.smashwords.com/books/907935>
The first two are intended primarily for children aged 9-12, but they
are the kind of children's books some adults also enjoy (eg "The
Hobbit").
They are basically adventure stories with some fantasy elements.
If you've read one of my books and weren't completely repelled by it,
here's a chance to try one of the others.
Or, if you're read one or more of them and thought someone you know
might enjoy reading them, please tell them about this.
This offer applies only to the ebook editions of my novels published--
by Smashwords/Draft2Digital, and does not apply to the paperback or
Kindle direct editions (if you have a Kindle, you can get a Smashwords >version in Kindle format).
Steve Hayes wrote:
[books]
Still no joy. by going to the generic site and searching
I can see the covers, and your author portrait.
(and realising you must be Stephen)
Clicking on the book produces the out of range error I mentioned,
Jan
Clicking on the book produces the out of range error I mentioned,
Jan
Still works fine for me in the UK.
However, if I try using the Opera browser's built-in VPN, set to
'Europe' (Google then thinks I'm in the Netherlands), I receive a "403 >Forbidden" error.
On Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:15:28 +0100, Hibou ><vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote:
Clicking on the book produces the out of range error I mentioned,
Jan
Still works fine for me in the UK.
However, if I try using the Opera browser's built-in VPN, set to
'Europe' (Google then thinks I'm in the Netherlands), I receive a "403 >>Forbidden" error.
Strange. I'll see if I can find a way to communicate with their
webmaster.
On Fri, 01 Aug 2025 06:08:50 +0200, Steve Hayes
<hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:15:28 +0100, Hibou ><vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote:
Clicking on the book produces the out of range error I mentioned,
Jan
Still works fine for me in the UK.
However, if I try using the Opera browser's built-in VPN, set to >>'Europe' (Google then thinks I'm in the Netherlands), I receive a "403 >>Forbidden" error.
Strange. I'll see if I can find a way to communicate with their
webmaster.
And the reply was:
1) Readers having problems accessing the website should contact us
directly, as we can better assist them. 403 errors are typically
temporary, but can also indicate IP address-related issues or similar.
If anyone who had difficulty in accessing the pages feels like taking
it up, the address is:
Matt T. <dev-talk@smashwords.com>
If anyone who had difficulty in accessing the pages feels like taking
it up, the address is:
Matt T. <dev-talk@smashwords.com>
They have fixed their site in the meantime.
(probably as a result of your querry)
The refs. from your original posting of a month ago
are now clickable, [1]
Jan
[1] The site says I can download the first 20% for trial,
but since they demand the creation of an account with them for that
I'm not going to try if it works.
BTW, they say you write English (South African dialect)
On Sat, 2 Aug 2025 13:03:05 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
If anyone who had difficulty in accessing the pages feels like taking
it up, the address is:
Matt T. <dev-talk@smashwords.com>
They have fixed their site in the meantime.
(probably as a result of your querry)
The refs. from your original posting of a month ago
are now clickable, [1]
Thanks for letting me know -- I've passed it on to them.
Jan
[1] The site says I can download the first 20% for trial,
but since they demand the creation of an account with them for that
I'm not going to try if it works.
BTW, they say you write English (South African dialect)
That's about right.
People who don't specify such things somtimes are subjected to
criticism from American readers who complain about books being full of spelling errors, and sometimes punctuation errors as well.
On Sat, 2 Aug 2025 13:03:05 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
BTW, they say you write English (South African dialect)
That's about right.
People who don't specify such things somtimes are subjected to
criticism from American readers who complain about books being full
of spelling errors, and sometimes punctuation errors as well.
On 03/08/25 01:57, Steve Hayes wrote:I think it was GBS who said "England, the US, two great nations
On Sat, 2 Aug 2025 13:03:05 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
BTW, they say you write English (South African dialect)
That's about right.
People who don't specify such things somtimes are subjected to
criticism from American readers who complain about books being full
of spelling errors, and sometimes punctuation errors as well.
I've been surprised by the number of people who don't know that there
are different dialects of English. I'm exposed regularly to different dialects on the TV news, so surely it should be hard to miss.
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences between
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
On 8/2/2025 7:29 PM, Peter Moylan wrote:
On 03/08/25 01:57, Steve Hayes wrote:
On Sat, 2 Aug 2025 13:03:05 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
BTW, they say you write English (South African dialect)
That's about right.
People who don't specify such things somtimes are subjected to
criticism from American readers who complain about books being full
of spelling errors, and sometimes punctuation errors as well.
I've been surprised by the number of people who don't know that there
are different dialects of English. I'm exposed regularly to different
dialects on the TV news, so surely it should be hard to miss.
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences between
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
I think it was GBS who said "England, the US, two great nations
separated by a common language."* As you show above, this quote never
gets old; the world just keeps finding new pairs to comment on.
* Oscar Wilde espoused the similar "We have really everything in common
with America nowadays, except, of course, language".
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences betweenIt's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech (and that's
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
I think it was GBS who said "England, the US, two great nations
separated by a common language."* As you show above, this quote never
gets old; the world just keeps finding new pairs to comment on.
* Oscar Wilde espoused the similar "We have really everything in common
with America nowadays, except, of course, language".
Le 03/08/2025 |a 02:29, Peter Moylan a |-crit :
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences
between
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference
in rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
It's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech (and
that's also my preference, because of their extra weight on the
page), whereas single inverted commas are usual in BrE.
The Americans also use a full stop after abbreviations such as
Dr. and Mr.. (That double full stop is a Hibouisme - la logique
avant tout !) In BrE, a full stop is used if the last letter of
the abbreviation is not the last letter of the word - etc., Feb.,
Rev., but Mr not Mr. - and to avoid ambiguity - to the relief of
the infamous coy. commander.
On 03/08/2025 07:01, Hibou wrote:
Le 03/08/2025 |a 02:29, Peter Moylan a |-crit :
[...] The Americans also use a full stop after abbreviations such as Dr. and Mr.. (That double full stop is a Hibouisme - la logique avant tout !) In BrE, a full stop is used if the last letter of the abbreviation is not the last letter of the word - etc., Feb., Rev., but Mr not Mr. - and to avoid ambiguity - to the relief of the infamous coy. commander.
I was taught 40 years ago not to punctuate abbreviations, at least not in business correspondence. It seemed like weird advice at the time, but it has stood up to 40 years' hard use and has worn well.
Maybe what is usual in BrE isn't quite as usual as you thought.
On 03/08/2025 07:01, Hibou wrote:
The Americans also use a full stop after abbreviations such as Dr. and
Mr.. (That double full stop is a Hibouisme - la logique avant tout !)
In BrE, a full stop is used if the last letter of the abbreviation is
not the last letter of the word - etc., Feb., Rev., but Mr not Mr. -
and to avoid ambiguity - to the relief of the infamous coy. commander.
I was taught 40 years ago not to punctuate abbreviations, at least not
in business correspondence. It seemed like weird advice at the time, but
it has stood up to 40 years' hard use and has worn well.
Maybe what is usual in BrE isn't quite as usual as you thought.
That's all that comes to mind for the moment.
After writing that, I went through to breakfast, to be faced by an American-style time display on the DAB radio: "07:05". "07.05" in BrE, though so pervasive is American influence that many Britons know it not.
Le 03/08/2025 a 02:29, Peter Moylan a ocrit :
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences betweenIt's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech (and that's
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
also my preference, because of their extra weight on the page), whereas single inverted commas are usual in BrE.
The Americans also use a full stop after abbreviations such as Dr. and
Mr.. (That double full stop is a Hibouisme - la logique avant tout !) In BrE, a full stop is used if the last letter of the abbreviation is not
the last letter of the word - etc., Feb., Rev., but Mr not Mr. - and to avoid ambiguity - to the relief of the infamous coy. commander.
Le 03/08/2025 |a 02:29, Peter Moylan a |-crit :
It's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech (and that's
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences between
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
also my preference, because of their extra weight on the page), whereas >single inverted commas are usual in BrE.
The Americans also use a full stop after abbreviations such as Dr. and
Mr.. (That double full stop is a Hibouisme - la logique avant tout !) In >BrE, a full stop is used if the last letter of the abbreviation is not
the last letter of the word - etc., Feb., Rev., but Mr not Mr. - and to >avoid ambiguity - to the relief of the infamous coy. commander.
That's all that comes to mind for the moment.--
On 03/08/2025 07:01, Hibou wrote:
Le 03/08/2025 |a 02:29, Peter Moylan a |-crit :
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences between
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
Likewise.
It's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech (and that's
also my preference, because of their extra weight on the page),
whereas single inverted commas are usual in BrE.
``It's usual for me to use double inverted commas, because when I quote speech `I don't trust single quotes to be strong enough to hold the
doubles in place', but the doubles have got the singles nailed.''
That's an example of where the comma belongs outside the qutation marks because it's not part of the quotation. The full stop, however, /is/
part of the quoted sentence and is therefore brought into the fold.
The Americans also use a full stop after abbreviations such as Dr. and
Mr.. (That double full stop is a Hibouisme - la logique avant tout !)
In BrE, a full stop is used if the last letter of the abbreviation is
not the last letter of the word - etc., Feb., Rev., but Mr not Mr. -
and to avoid ambiguity - to the relief of the infamous coy. commander.
I was taught 40 years ago not to punctuate abbreviations, at least not
in business correspondence. It seemed like weird advice at the time, but
it has stood up to 40 years' hard use and has worn well.
Maybe what is usual in BrE isn't quite as usual as you thought.
On 2025-08-03 00:42, Richard Heathfield wrote:
On 03/08/2025 07:01, Hibou wrote:
Le 03/08/2025 |a 02:29, Peter Moylan a |-crit :
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences between
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in rules >>>> is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
Likewise.
It's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech (and
that's also my preference, because of their extra weight on the
page), whereas single inverted commas are usual in BrE.
``It's usual for me to use double inverted commas, because when I
quote speech `I don't trust single quotes to be strong enough to hold
the doubles in place', but the doubles have got the singles nailed.''
I'm intrigued by your 'double inverted commas' for two reasons.
1. In the example above, you have two characters at the beginning of the sentence and two at the end, in mirror image. Are those what you call 'double inverted commas', and is that the normal usage in published literature?
1. In Canada, a quotation mark is not called inverted commas, and in
fact, the are more like a single character with commas not inverted but
just raised to the top of the character space, and in published works,
one of that character is mirrored horizontally.
That's an example of where the comma belongs outside the qutation
marks because it's not part of the quotation. The full stop, however,
/is/ part of the quoted sentence and is therefore brought into the fold.
The Americans also use a full stop after abbreviations such as Dr.
and Mr.. (That double full stop is a Hibouisme - la logique avant
tout !) In BrE, a full stop is used if the last letter of the
abbreviation is not the last letter of the word - etc., Feb., Rev.,
but Mr not Mr. - and to avoid ambiguity - to the relief of the
infamous coy. commander.
I was taught 40 years ago not to punctuate abbreviations, at least not
in business correspondence. It seemed like weird advice at the time,
but it has stood up to 40 years' hard use and has worn well.
Maybe what is usual in BrE isn't quite as usual as you thought.
On 2025-08-03 00:42, Richard Heathfield wrote:
On 03/08/2025 07:01, Hibou wrote:
Le 03/08/2025 |a 02:29, Peter Moylan a |-crit :
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences
between
AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the
difference in rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
Likewise.
It's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech
(and that's also my preference, because of their extra weight
on the page), whereas single inverted commas are usual in BrE.
``It's usual for me to use double inverted commas, because when
I quote speech `I don't trust single quotes to be strong enough
to hold the doubles in place', but the doubles have got the
singles nailed.''
I'm intrigued by your 'double inverted commas' for two reasons.
1. In the example above, you have two characters at the beginning
of the sentence and two at the end, in mirror image. Are those
what you call 'double inverted commas', and is that the normal
usage in published literature?
On 04/08/2025 05:23, lar3ryca wrote:
On 2025-08-03 00:42, Richard Heathfield wrote:
On 03/08/2025 07:01, Hibou wrote:
Le 03/08/2025 |a 02:29, Peter Moylan a |-crit :
I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences between >>>>> AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in
rules
is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
quotation mark.
Likewise.
It's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech (and
that's also my preference, because of their extra weight on the
page), whereas single inverted commas are usual in BrE.
``It's usual for me to use double inverted commas, because when I
quote speech `I don't trust single quotes to be strong enough to hold
the doubles in place', but the doubles have got the singles nailed.''
I'm intrigued by your 'double inverted commas' for two reasons.
1. In the example above, you have two characters at the beginning of
the sentence and two at the end, in mirror image. Are those what you
call 'double inverted commas', and is that the normal usage in
published literature?
LaTeX turns `` into 66 quotes and '' into 99 quotes.
In the books I read as a child, 66 and 99 were the norm, with 6 and 9
being pressed into service for nesting where required..
At some point, the world seems to have switched to 6 and 9 on the
outside and 66 and 99 on the inside, but I never got the memo.
On 05/08/25 00:21, Richard Heathfield wrote:<snip>
In the books I read as a child, 66 and 99 were the norm,
with 6 and 9 being pressed into service for nesting where
required..
At some point, the world seems to have switched to 6 and 9
on the outside and 66 and 99 on the inside, but I never got
the memo.
Not the whole world. That switch seems to have happened only in
books published in the UK.